The summer truffle (''Tuber aestivum'') or burgundy truffle (''Tuber uncinatum'') is a species of

truffle A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pe ...

, found in almost all European countries.Hall et al., 106-110
/ref>

Taxonomy

In cuisine and commerce, particularly in France and Italy, the summer truffle (''T. aestivum'') is distinguished from the burgundy truffle (''T. uncinatum''). However, molecular analysis showed in 2004 that these two varieties of truffle are one

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

. The differences between them are therefore likely due to environmental factors.Hall et al., 61-63
/ref> This article uses the older of the two

binomial name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...

s, ''T. aestivum'', to designate the species,As recommended by Hall et al., 63. while discussing the characteristics of the two varieties separately.

Burgundy truffles

Burgundy truffles (french: truffe de Bourgogne; it, tartufo nero di Fragno or ''scorzone'', "bark"; es, trufa de verano; sv, svart sommartryffel), have a

hazelnut The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus '' Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according ...

-like aroma and are prized for their gastronomic qualities. They are used in the ''

haute cuisine ''Haute cuisine'' (; ) or ''grande cuisine'' is the cuisine of "high-level" establishments, gourmet restaurants, and luxury hotels. ''Haute cuisine'' is characterized by the meticulous preparation and careful presentation of food at a high pric ...

'' of France and Italy, sometimes as a less expensive, milder substitute for the Périgord black truffle ('' T. melanosporum'') when the latter are not available. Like other truffles, they are also packaged for export. With bodies (

ascocarp An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are mos ...

s) from in diameter, burgundy truffles are relatively large. Their brown or black outer skin (

peridium The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of gasteroid fungi. Description Depending on the species, the peridium may vary from being paper-thin to thick and rubbe ...

) forms pyramidal warts about wide, resembling rough

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...

. Burgundy truffles are harvested from September to late December, sometimes also until late January. They have a wider distribution than any other truffle species. Burgundy truffles are found across Europe, from Spain to eastern Europe and from Sweden to North Africa. In France they are found mainly in the north-east and in Italy, in the north. In the United Kingdom they were plentiful prior to the 20th century, but are now rare. Their distribution may not yet be definitively established: there are as of 2007 unconfirmed reports of findings in China.

Summer truffles

The flavor, size and color of summer truffles ( it, tartufo estivo) is similar to that of burgundy truffles, but their aroma is less intense and the flesh (

gleba Gleba (, from Latin ''glaeba, glēba'', "lump") is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of certain fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn. The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The contin ...

) is a paler hazel color. As their name suggests, summer truffles are harvested earlier than burgundy truffles, from May to August. They are most often found in the southern part of the distribution area of the species, notably in the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

areas of France, Italy and Spain.

References

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Footnotes

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q74692, from2=Q3541785 aestivum Truffles (fungi) Fungi described in 1831